1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bonding apparatus and a bonding method for bonding objects to be bonded by utilizing ultrasonic vibration.
2. Description of the Related Art
To inspect electric characteristics of electronic circuits such as IC and LSI formed on, for example, a semiconductor wafer, a probe card attached to a probe device is used. The probe card generally has a circuit board and a contactor. On a lower surface of the contactor facing the wafer, a large number of probe pins are supported via connection terminals, and to inspect the electric characteristics of the wafer, these large number of probe pins are brought into contact with electrodes of the electronic circuits (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-77242).
As an apparatus for bonding small components such as these probe pins and connection terminals, an apparatus performing ultrasonic bonding is known. This bonding apparatus includes a bonding member brought into contact with the probe pin and an ultrasonic vibrator giving ultrasonic vibration to the bonding member. To bond the probe pin and the connection terminal, a circuit board 93 is placed so that connection terminals 92 provided on a contactor 91 face upward, a probe pin 95 is placed on the connection terminal 92, and the probe pin 95 is pressed from above by a tip portion of a bonding member 96 as shown in, for example, in FIG. 12. Then, the bonding member 96 is ultrasonically vibrated by the oscillation of an ultrasonic vibrator. Then, the ultrasonic vibration of the bonding member 96 is transmitted to the probe pin 95, so that the probe pin 95 and the connection terminal 92 rub each other, whereby frictional heat is generated between the probe pin 95 and the connection terminal 92. Consequently, the probe pin 95 can be welded to the connection terminal 92.